Get Creative. Be Inspired.

This is the blog of the team at Botanical PaperWorks. Here you’ll find loads of crafts and DIY projects, freebies for almost any occasion, coupons, creative wedding ideas, and inspiration boards. Our goal is to share, inspire, and open up all kinds ideas for creativity, all while being as eco-friendly and stylish as possible.

Addressing Invitation Envelopes - 10 Do's & Don'ts

So you've received your invitations and have a group of friends and family booked to come over for an Envelope Addressing Party. It'll be fun, right? Yes, if you've done some preparation and have some clear guidelines in place.

Since the invitation envelope is the first impression that guests will have of your wedding stationery, it's really important to do it properly. The last thing that you want are typos, messy writing and incorrect postage. And if others are helping you with the task, you need to give them clear guidance.

Here are 10 tips for addressing invitation envelopes:

Five Do's For Addressing Invitation Envelopes

1. Do use a permanent pen to address the envelope. If a drop of water falls on the envelope, this will guard against pen bleeding and smudging.

2. Do hand-address the envelopes. Pre-printed labels are easy but too impersonal for a wedding. You want the package to appear special, not like another piece of ad mail.

3. Do write out names completely rather than using nicknames. Ex: Mr. & Mrs. Robert Strelkov rather than Mr. & Mrs. Bob Strelkov.

4. Do use the level of name formality that fits with your wedding event. Some couples adhere to strict and formal Mr. & Mrs. terminology, while others opt for a casual wording, such as Robert and Melodie Strelkov. Use the wording that fits best.

5. Do feel free to embellish the envelope with a classy wax seal or pressed flower sticker. It's a nice touch.

Five Don'ts for Addressing Envelopes

1. Don't forget to place stamps on the reply cards. I received an invitation once without postage on the respond envelope. It turned out that the mother-of-the-groom had forgotten to put the stamps on before sealing the invitation envelopes!

2. Don't scratch out a spelling mistake or stick a label overtop. This looks sloppy and messy. Instead, use a fresh envelope. If there are no extra envelopes, call your invitation provider to ask for a couple of extras.

3. Don't forget to check off the names on your invitation list, either as you address the envelopes or right before putting them in the mail. If you get interrupted in the middle of addressing, you'll want to make sure that you didn't miss anyone on the list.

4. Don't allow anyone with messy handwriting to address the envelopes. Only those with neat, attractive penmanship should be allowed access to the envelopes.

5. Don't hesitate to employ a professional calligrapher to address the envelopes. This is especially true if your handwriting is less than legible.